Metal Gear Solid is a book based on the first game from the popular Metal Gear Solid game series. It takes place on Shadow Moses Island, north of Alaska, where the United States has a nuclear weapon disarming facility. A team of insurgents has taken over the facility with plans to launch a nuclear weapon using Metal Gear Rex, and Solid Snake must stop them.

When it comes to getting information about Solid Snake's past, this book is very informative. We learn about how Snake came into being and about his thoughts and how his mind works.

Besides that, though, this book is not written very well. One thing that particularly bothers me about some books is that some of the verbs to describe the actions and responses Snake and others have do not seem to fit with what was happening in the story. Also, the "love story" between Solid Snake and Meryl is just kind of thrown into the book near the end.

It reads a bit choppy as well, and things just seem to appear out of nowhere to assist Snake, but that's likely because its based on a video game.

All in all, I give it a 2 out of 5 stars. It was okay, but not the best. ( )

Solid Snake and his brother Liquid Snake were 'made'. DNA from 'Big Boss', the greatest modern day warrior/soldier, was taken and manipulated to produce better soldier/warriors - thus the Snake Brothers. This action-packed novel reads like a combination of Rambo and the Power Rangers with the Snake's mentor, the Colonel, and villains named Revolver Ocelot and Decoy Octopus. However, there is a undercurrent of depth with Solid Snake's questioning himself about his destiny and the correctness of DNA manipulation.

Raymond Benson also wrote some James Bond books, so the action is detailed and the weapons are 007ish.

All is all, is was an entertaining and fast read. While I probably wouldn't read another book of this series, I would watch a movie.

Highly skilled former FOXHOUND agent Solid Snake is called out of retirement to do what he does best–neutralize a crisis of epic proportions. A deadly team of renegade FOXHOUND operatives has taken over the nuclear disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island in the icy Aleutians. If their demands aren’t met, a powerful, top-secret weapon will be unleashed upon the world.

Solid Snake’s mission is to breach the heavily fortified base to rescue hostages and to destroy the superweapon. His only obstacles are brainwashed commandos, DNA-enhanced troops, and six first-rate killers with extraordinary abilities. All alone in hostile territory, armed with nothing but his wits, Snake has only a snowball’s chance in hell of taking out his target and keeping nuclear nightfall from descending on the earth.

But nothing is as it seems. Somebody is hiding something. Somebody has a hidden agenda. And somebody wants Snake to learn secrets about his dark past–secrets that would shake any man to his core.

(retrieved from Amazon Mon, 30 Sep 2013 13:33:04 -0400)

▾Library descriptions

Former FOXHOUND agent Solid Snake is called out of retirement to try and rescue a group of hostages being held captive on a nuclear disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island.